Daily Saint

St. John of the Cross was a Spanish mystic, poet, and reformer in 16th-century Spain. His writings on the spiritual life remain treasures of Catholic tradition.

St. John’s father was disowned by his wealthy family for marrying an orphan woman of lower social status. He grew up in poverty after his father died. His mother moved the family to Medina, where St. John was educated in a school for poor orphans, where he was fed, housed, and taught Christian doctrine.

Drawn to religious life, he joined the Carmelites in 1563 and was ordained a priest in 1567. Soon after, he met St. Teresa of Ávila, who inspired him to join her in reforming the Carmelite Order, whose rules had relaxed the original emphasis on poverty, prayer, and simplicity. St. John became the first of the more rigid order of Carmelite friars established by St. Teresa of Ávila.

St. John’s attempt at reforming the Carmelite order was met with fierce resistance. His superior attempted to remove him from his post in Ávila, but he chose to stay. The conflict led to his kidnapping and imprisonment by a faction of his fellow Carmelites who opposed the new rules. During his confinement, he wrote some of his most famous mystical poetry, including The Spiritual Canticle and Dark Night of the Soul, both considered masterpieces of Spanish poetry.

After his release, St. John continued to guide the reform and served in leadership roles within the Carmelite Order. St. John founded several small communities of Discalced Carmelite friars, helping to spread the reform throughout Spain.

He died in 1591 after a brief illness. In 1726, he was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII, and in 1926, Pope Pius XI declared him a Doctor of the Church. He is known as a Mystical Doctor, and his writings are considered foundational texts on mystical theology.